Artys Arryn
King Artys I Arryn, also known as the Falcon Knight, was a knight that participated in the Andal Invasion of Westeros and the founder of House Arryn. He is sometimes conflated with the Winged Knight. Biography Background Artys Arryn was an Andal knight born at the Giant's Lance in the Vale. This meant that he knew the region as well as the First Men who inhabited it, and the Andals in the Vale united behind him as their leader. In the Battle of the Seven Stars, the Andals under Ser Artys fought against the First Men under King Robar II Royce to determine the fate of the Vale."Knights of the Vale" The First Men preferred to use infantry and had dug trenches lined with sharpened stakes on the high ground, while the Andals had mounted knights. The first six charges against Robar's line failed, until Torgold Tollett broke through. Seeing Artys's falcon-shaped helmet, Robar charged at him in the hope that the Andal army would dissolve if their leader was killed. Using the Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn, Robar beheaded the Falcon Knight after a duel, only to see five hundred fresh Andal knights charging from the Giant's Lance with Artys at their head. Esteeming cunning even more than brute force, Artys had clad one of his knights in his own distinctive armor to distract Robar while he led a force of his best cavalry up a goat track he knew from childhood. Afterwards, Artys became King of the Mountain and the Vale and founded House Arryn."House Arryn" In the books In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Ser Artys is the hero of a thousand tales. Robert Arryn, the child lord of the Eyrie, is fond of Ser Artys's stories. In the The World of Ice & Fire book it is revealed that the historical Ser Artys Arryn has been conflated by singers with a previous legendary First Men figure known as the Winged Knight. The Winged Knight was a legendary figure of the Age of Heroes - made a knight by singers and storytellers as knighthood was an Andal tradition - said to have flown upon a huge falcon and had armies of eagles at this command. He won the Vale by slaying the Griffin King atop the Giant's Lance. He is said to have been friendly with giants and merlings. His wife, one of the children of the forest, died giving birth to his son. Maester Yandel speculates singers conflated the two figures to curry favor with the Arryn dynasty, giving rise to legends that Ser Artys was the Winged Knight who drove the First Men from the Vale and took the Eyrie, instead of its construction being carried out by descendants of Ser Artys ever since his grandson, Roland I Arryn, ordered it. Although Artys and the Winged Knight are presented as the same in the Season 1 Complete Guide to Westeros by Catelyn Stark, the Season 6 Histories and Lore presents the story of the true Artys Arryn. See also * References fr:Artys Arryn de:Artys Arryn ru:Артис Аррен Category:Knights Category:Kings of the Mountain and the Vale Category:Members of House Arryn Category:Deceased individuals Category:Valemen Category:Andals Category:Legendary heroes